What's in a wish
by Insane Troll Logic
Summary: One shot. A look at an alernate universe in which Peter Pettigrew never existed.


**Title-** What's in a wish

**Summary- **Harry wishes Peter Pettigrew out of existence.

**Rating- **PG-13 to be safe. Mild Language**.**

**Disclaimer- **Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling. Vengeance demons are stolen from Buffy the Vampire Slayer which belongs to Joss Whedon.

* * *

Harry Potter was having some major déjà vu. The Dursleys had thrown him back up into his bedroom again, something about another big drill deal. For all he knew it was the same group from a few summers ago, the ones Dobby had scared off. That would have been especially ironic.

But all the same he was going up to his room to pretend he didn't exist, thinking rather fondly of turning the lot of them into toads. Sirius would have encouraged that.

Unfortunately, Sirius was dead and never coming back. He pushed open the door to his bedroom and was greeted with a girl sitting on his bed. "Hello."

Harry blinked. "Er. Hello."

She looked slightly disappointed. "Just hello? No jumping or anything?"

"Who are you?"

The girl smiled. "I'm a vengeance demon. My name is of no importance."

"And what are you doing in my bedroom?"

She raised an eyebrow. "You are Harry Potter, right?"

"I thought everybody knew that." He snapped.

"Haven't they taught you about vengeance demons in that school of yours?"

His eyes widened slightly at the mention of Hogwarts, but his anger did not subside. "We're a tad bit behind in Defense classes."

"Right," she said distantly. "I heard about some of those clowns. Quirrell and Lockhart especially. Now how did they get jobs?" She noticed Harry staring at her and quickly said. "Right, Vengeance Demons. Well if a person has been wronged, we offer them a wish."

"A wish?"

"You're not deaf, correct? Of course a wish. Anything you want within certain perimeters."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "What are the perimeters?"

She laughed lightly. "Smart boy. Not everyone asks that. You can't directly wish vengeance on Voldemort. No idea why, but that is the only rule for you."

He scowled. "What's the point then?"

"You could change anything else you like. Give yourself a normal life, perhaps." Her gaze went even more intense. "I understand you've lost someone recently."

"Sirius." Harry breathed. "Could I save him?"

She shrugged nonchalantly. "You're wish is my command."

"Only one wish?"

"What am I a genie?"

"Right." He said awkwardly. "One wish."

She grinned, looking remarkably like Tonks. "One wish."

He opened his mouth, preparing to wish Sirius back to life, but then he stopped.

The lady looked darkly at him. "This is a one time offer. I've got places to be."

Harry cleared his throat, random scenes from the past years flashing through his head.

_"You sold Lily and James to Voldemort."_

_"**THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED! DIED RATHER THAN BETRAYED US, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU…"**_

**_"_**_Flesh of a servant, willingly given, you will revive your master."_

_"This piece of vermin is the reason you have no parents."_

He could fix it all with one simple sentence. "I wish Peter Pettigrew had never existed."

She turned around smiling and her face morphed. "Done."

* * *

There was some sort of a bright white light and suddenly, Harry wasn't at the Dursley's anymore. He was in a graveyard.

"What the h…"

"Harry Potter?"

Harry spun around on his heels. The boy was about sixteen, shorter than him, a little on the pudgy side. "I'm getting really sick of strangers knowing my name?"

The boy smiled. "We're not exactly strangers. My name's Peter Pettigrew. I think you just wished me out of existence."

"Oh." Harry didn't quite know what to say. "Sorry?"

Peter shrugged. "Don't be. Wormtail was a jackass. Kind of deserved it."

"So." Said Harry awkwardly. "Why are you here? I though you didn't exist anymore."

"I don't." He said, shrugging, "I'm just here to give you a chance to take it all back."

"Now why would I want to do that?" Asked Harry wryly. "No offence or anything, but without you, everything should be great."

"Hey." Peter put up his hands in defense. "I'll admit to being a bastard when I got older, but you don't get it. You didn't just wish Wormtail out of existence, you wished me out as well."

Harry rolled his eyes at him. "Again, I'm sorry, but I don't see how this is a bad thing."

Peter stared at his feet. "Just forget it them. I think I'm supposed to go _It's a Wonderful Life_ on you anyway." Harry just looked confused. "I guess you never saw that movie."

"Where are we anyway?" Harry shivered. "I've had bad experiences in graveyards."

"That was another barb at me wasn't it?"

"I hate you." Harry replied simply.

Peter winced slightly before saying. "This is Private Drive."

That caught Harry off guard. "What? You don't have a thing to do with Private Drive."

"You'd be sur…"

"Take me to Hogwarts." Harry cut him off. "I want to see Ron and Hermione."

"You're not going to like it."

Harry glared harshly at him.

"Fine, fine. Hogwarts then? Let do your first year."

"Any particular reason?"

The scene swirled and changed to a moving chess board. "You'll see soon enough."

The game played out more or less how it did the first time around, Ron ordering pieces to move along with two other people, Hermoine and himself. Only it wasn't Harry. It was Seamus. Ron once again sacrificed himself and Hermoine and Seamus went into the room with the fire. Hermoine worked out Snape's puzzle and fought with Seamus for a while.

"I'll do it, Hermione, don't worry."

Her face was flushed, looking rather angry. "Don't you get it, You-know-who is behind that door. He could be immortal by now for all we know."

Seamus's eyes flashed and Harry found himself trembling. "Voldemort killed my whole family. You go get Dumbledore and get him to come. I want my chance at revenge."

The swallowed the bottles at the same time and walked through the walls of fire.

Then Harry was in the graveyard again. "Hold on? What was that?"

Peter slumped against a tombstone. "I don't have that strong of a stomach. I'd rather not see how that ended."

"How did it end?" Harry asked, curious despite himself.

Peter stood up. "Seamus met Voldemort at the height of his power behind that door. Not the Voldemort that was hiding in Quirrell's turban. He used him to get the stone and then killed him and achieved his goal of immortality."

Harry blinked twice. "But that's not how it went!"

"Yes." Peter said, gently, "that's exactly how it went."

"But what did that have to do with you not being here?" He lowered his voice. "And where was I?"

Peter swallowed. "Did Sirius tell you how your parents got together?"

He blinked back tears. "Seventh year. When James, _dad,_ had deflated his head a bit. But why does that matter?"

"Figures that Sirius would leave the other part out." Peter shook his head. "He always ignored the role I played in things." His eyes twinkled with mischief and for a moment he looked so alive that Harry wondered how he and Wormtail could be the same person. "I locked the two of them in a broom closet. Only for about an hour. Sirius was the one who finally let them out, but they were in a serious lip lock and if I recall it correctly, he rolled his eyes and locked them back in."

"What are you saying." Harry asked, confused.

Peter smiled gently. "All I'm pointing out is that you're just as big with the non existence as I am."

"But what about the prophesy?"

The scene swirled in front of them and they were somewhere Harry had never been before. Peter was watching him. "I believe you have a friend called Neville?"

Chills ran down Harry's spine. "Yes."

Peter swallowed. "Well since you're not here, Voldemort went after the only other possible candidate for the prophesy. Unfortunately, Neville's folks are both aurors and you know how they're always active during dark times. Frank and Alice refused to go under the Fidelius charm since they wanted to keep an active part in the war. Voldemort attacked when they were both out. Neville was alone with his Gran."

The scene played out in front of them, Neville's Gran fast asleep as Voldemort burst in. He slit her throat before she could begin to plead. "Neville was just a helpless baby." Said Peter as Voldemort took one disdainful look at the infant and there was a flash of green light.

Then they were back in the cemetery. "I hate this world." Peter muttered, kicking a nearby tombstone. "And it's not just because I'm not in it."

Harry to his credit remained somewhat calm. "Are my folks alive at least? I mean you only said they didn't get together."

Peter tensed slightly in response. "James is alive. But Lily, Lily's gone." He gesture to the grave he had just kicked. "Look for yourself."

Harry crouched down to read it.

_Lily Anne Evans._

_1960-1985_

_She made our lives just a little better_

"Lils was in a raid that was out recapture Azkaban. She took a hit for one of the leader of the Order of Phoenix. James was heartbroken. You see, he still loved her. Sure, they hadn't gotten together didn't mean he didn't love her. He hadn't so much as looked at another girl for years. Ever since she died, he'd been going on all of the riskiest missions, not really caring if he made it or not."

Tears shone in Harry's eyes behind his glasses. "What about Sirius and Lupin?"

Peter blinked. "I'm surprised that you even asked about Sirius. Since you wished me out of existence, Sirius would have been secret keeper. That could of either ended in Voldemort torturing him to death or, him giving you guys up."

Harry swallowed. "Which one was it?"

"Neither." He said simply. "Your family never went under the charm because James and Lily weren't together and you didn't exist. I was just pointing out that it would be silly to wish me out of existence thinking that it would bring Sirius back."

"But what happened?"

Peter looked at the dark sky. "You really don't want to know."

"Peter, please."

Peter turned his pleading gaze to Harry. "You don't get it! You really don't want to see that. I don't want to see it. Let's not go there."

"Pettigrew!"

Peter shut his eyes tight as the scene changed. "I warned you. You can't say I didn't."

Harry was alone in the Great Hall. "Peter!! Where'd you go."

A younger looking Snape slunk by on his left. "What the hell?"

With nothing better to do, he followed. Peter was standing next to the stairs. "I stalled him here, you know. I had been sneaking food from the kitchen and I ran into him. We exchanged our insults and went our separate way. Took all of thirty seconds." Snape walked straight through him. "I didn't know what Sirius had done but those thirty seconds as good as saved Snape's life."

"The whomping willow." Harry said, suddenly understanding and sprinting off to the old tree.

"You won't be able to do any more than I was!!" Peter yelled at his retreating back. "Don't you get it, Potter? We don't exist!!"

Harry caught up with Snape just as he prodded the knot and entered the passage.

A few seconds later James Potter came flying out of the castle, screaming. "Snape!! Get out of there!! You have not idea what you're dealing with!!"

Harry could hear snarled and slashing from the tunnel.

Peter appeared at his side. "I warned you. You didn't listen."

"What happens to them, after?" Harry said in a broken whisper.

He took a deep breath. "Moony wasn't allowed to stay at Hogwarts. He was booted out on to the streets. A few years after, Voldemort found him and offered to let him join with them. Remus refused and James found him in a ditch somewhere."

"And Sirius?" Harry asked shakily, not really wanting to know.

"Azkaban." Said Peter. "The youngest prisoner in fifty years. In the Azkaban raids of '83 the deatheaters broke the prison open." He locked eyes with Harry. "You saw what Azkaban did to an innocent person. Imagine what it did to those who where actually guilty. By the time he got out, Sirius had pretty much had convinced himself that he was evil. Voldemort offered him a position and," He swallowed. "Sirius took it."

"He wouldn't!! He would never!"

Peter gave a sad smile. "You don't really know what that place did to people. Hagrid never talked about it and Sirius sure as hell didn't." He stared hard at the ground, thinking. "Maybe I can put your mind at peace about the Sirius thing."

A man in deatheater robes stood in front of them looking at Voldemort through a mask. "Ah. Black I have you're next assignment."

He generated a replica of James Potter.

Sirius stared at it .

"Something wrong, Mr. Black."

"I won't do it."

"_Crucio!" _Voldemort smiled as Sirius convulsed in pain for a good ten minutes before the curse was lifted.

"Never." Said Sirius, wiping blood off of his nose, eyes flashing. "I've had enough of these games! I'm not killing anymore people. Especially not James. I quit."

"No." Voldemort raised the wand. "You're fired."

Sirius collapsed in a flash of green light.

And then Harry was in a white room, on the ground, shaking. Peter was standing over him.

"I had no idea you were that involved in everything."

Sighing, Peter sat down next to him. "That's the funny thing about messing with time. You take out _any_ person and there will be major consequences. Most of the things that happened were because I did something small and it affected something large. It'd be like that with anyone. The past is the past and it cannot be changed without consequences, usually for the worse. You have no idea how incredibly lucky you were when you used the time turner for your benefit."

"I should have just wished Sirius back." Harry said, dejected.

Peter gave a weary smile. "That could have turned out just as bad. How would you like to be torn out of heaven?" He scuffed his foot. "It's best to stay away from the whole wishing business altogether. Vengeance demons just like causing chaos. I expect that's why she wouldn't let you wish Voldemort dead."

"Why are you helping me?"

"Because you saved my life once. And the other me has absolutely no intention on returning the favor. That was the only reason I was even allowed."

Harry suddenly was immensely glad that he'd spared Peter. "I can fix it then?"

Peter smirked. "Clap your heels together three times…"

"Now I know you're playing with me."

A door appeared on the other end of the white room. "Through there and you're good."

Harry gave Peter a hesitant smile. "Thanks." And he began walking towards the door.

"Harry!" Peter cried out with sudden urgency causing him to stop inhis tracks. "Wormtail and me aren't the same. I really don't exist in either world anymore, you know. I just wanted to say that if I knew what I would do, I'd have thrown myself off North Tower."

Harry looked over his shoulders and gave Peter a watery smile. "I'm glad you didn't."

And with that he walked through the door.

* * *

**The End**.

Now I that I got that story out of my head, I can go off to finish Behind the Veil.

I'm gonna get flamed for this. I can feel it. But I'm a sucker for feedback so review anyway.


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